Revelation: The High King
1483 Words
The light flickered against the movement, casting uneven shadows that stretched and twisted along the ground. My pulse quickened as the shape came into full view—no longer just a hint in the darkness but something tangible, undeniable.
Heather shifted at my side, barely breathing, her small frame tense with fear she refused to voice. The night air felt heavier, thicker, wrapping around us as the glow illuminated more than I was ready to face.
Seamus glared at Heather. "Ye got in the way, lass."
"Leave my daughter be, McDillard," I growled. "Heather, run inside an’ fetch Daddy an’ Poppy."
I felt Rowan before I heard his disgusted voice echo over the otherwise empty yard. "You son of a b***h. You messed with the wrong family."
Seamus paled considerably. "I only meddled wi’ a few orphans, is all. No crime in that, aye?"
"It's called luring, and it carries a hefty sentence by human laws," Rowan replied. "By our laws, you've committed a treason punishable by death."
Seamus stepped back, but a snarling growl had him falling to the ground. From the other corner of the yard, a mahogany brown wolf padded into the light.
"Uncle Kaden," Heather exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she caught sight of the familiar form.
"Treason? Me?" Seamus scoffed. "That one o’er there’ll be the death o’ the lot o’ ye. Leif Robertsson shouldn’t be anywhere near bairns, what wi’ his sordid past. Has he told ye anythin’ yet?"
"Kaden, gentle takedown," Dreson snapped.
With lightning-quick reflexes, Kaden pinned the blond man under the full weight of his wolf and panted happily.
Dre took a step in Seamus' direction. "You come on my property, mess with my family, and expect me not to retaliate? Are you out of your mind? Father, I will be pressing charges for the attempted kidnapping, luring, stalking, and harassment of persons connected to the royal family."
"It will be done, son," Rowan replied. "This level of hate crimes needs to go against the Sages. Leif, that means you need to be strong enough to handle getting questioned about the past. Can you do that?"
"Aye," I ground out, forcing the word past the knot in my throat. "I'll do it. If it means protectin’ the wee ones, then I’ll be doin’ what needs t’ be done."
Kaden's wolfish head swung to me, and I could see the shock staring back from the blue depths. Hell, even I was surprised at my response.
Yet, the more I thought about it, the more it felt right. Protectin’ the kids came first, and for that, I would have to face my demons head-on.
Walking into the house, I passed Dreson, who reached out to take me into his arms. His grip was firm, grounding, but I could barely focus on the warmth of it. My pulse still thrummed with adrenaline, my mind racing through everything that had just happened.
"Are you all right, babe?" he whispered, carefully checking Conner over. His touch was gentle, measured. "He's got a bruise, but he looks fine."
Shaking from anger and fear, I barely got the words out. "I shudder t’ think what may’ve happened if Heather didn’t shove ‘im into the playhouse. She’s smart for a six-year-old."
Kaden shifted back to his human form, still vibrating with controlled aggression. With a growl, he kept a knee on Seamus' back, shoving his face into the ground with effortless force. "If I was a Rogue, I'd rip your ass apart. Though, according to what we've learned, you might actually enjoy that."
Seamus coughed into the dirt, face twisted with fury. "Me father’ll have yer heads for this! Ye can’t do this t’ me! I’m a Lord, goddamn it!"
"Is that right? On his feet, son." Rowan's voice was clipped, carrying a weight that left no room for argument. He sounded less than pleased that this pathetic sod thought throwing around a title would get him off the hook.
Ha. Try again, asshole.
"You endangered me children, Seamus, an’ neither the Alliance nor the Sages take kindly t’ that," I grit out through clenched teeth.
A tiny hand slipped into mine, fingers small and cold. I glanced down and met Heather’s tear-filled eyes. "Papa, can we sleep with you and Daddy tonight? I'm scared."
The air around Rowan shifted. It didn’t just glow—it darkened, deepened into an ominous red that pulsed against the tension in the room. Heather’s words settled over us, and Rowan took them like a direct hit. He was pissed, and we all knew it.
Kaden yanked his shorts on before unceremoniously dragging Seamus to his feet. "Oh, wait, did you want him upright or upside down? If he's upside down, maybe the blood flow will return some of his common sense."
"Right where you have him, little brother," Dreson said, stalking toward them with slow, deliberate steps. His knuckles cracked as he flexed his fingers, the sound cutting through the space between them. "Dad, take Leif and the kids inside, please?"
"You get five minutes. Don’t kill him," Rowan replied, lifting Heather into his arms like nothing else mattered. "Come on, Leif, let's go feed my grandbabies. I'll call Phil to come and check them over. Things have been pretty calm with the pack recently, so it shouldn’t be an issue."
I could hear Dreson telling Kaden to let Seamus go. Then the sickening sound of a fist landing hard against flesh reached my ears. My Mate was ticked off beyond reasoning, and that was not going to go well for Seamus at all.
As soon as we got inside, Rowan shut the door to muffle the sounds of the violence outside. We rounded the corner and came face to face with my uncle.
Harper wasn’t pleased, but he’d have to get through Rowan to get to me. "What happened, Leif? Ye promised me ye’d live in peace, an’ I get a call that ye lot are in trouble?"
Setting Heather to her feet, Rowan told her to go with me to the kitchen. "You don't get to put the blame on Leif, Harper. You haven't been around since he left. That asshole tried to lure my grandson, so if the damn Sages can't do their jobs, I'm going to start replacing the whole lot of you. I'm taking back my birthright."
I watched my uncle pale.
"I'm sorry, I don't think that I-" I began, not knowing what to say to the revelation.
He laughed, "No, you heard me right, son. The reason is mine alone, but, until now, I had no desire to step up to the plate as anything other than the simple King title I’ve been using. The only one higher than the Sages is the High King of Druids worldwide: me.”
Shut the front door! Was he yanking me chain or being serious? I knew Dre and Kaden were Prince’s and Rowan was a King, but the High King? That right there was a distinction not many a’tall could claim, and I’d been living with the family for six long years.
“I read what you wrote,” he continued, “and I'm not pleased. No one saved you when you needed it the most, and it made me realize what the hell is wrong with this world. Too much goes unnoticed because of human ignorance, but we Supernaturals have ignored plenty, too."
Harper's eyes dropped to the floor. Bowing to Rowan, he said, "My apologies, Sire. I meant no disrespect."
"I want that piece of s**t in the yard taken to the towers and held in max security. Then I want a raid on George McDillard's country house. If what Leif went through is still going on, I want them caught red-handed," Dreson said, accepting a towel from his brother as they walked back inside.
Rowan raised a brow. "He's alive?"
"Regrettably," my fiancé muttered as he walked over to us. Seeing that Conner was awake, he smiled, softening slightly. "Hey, little man. How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts, Daddy," Conner reported dutifully.
"Phil is on the way. Neil just linked me, saying he's sending some Warriors over to help secure the place. He also said Izzy wants a piece of the nut-job that tried to hurt the kids. Cuz ain’t happy, and when she’s not happy, Neil toes the line," Kaden reported, breezing past us into the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"
"Does it look like I've had a chance to cook anything?" I snarked, rolling my eyes.
He scoffed. "Screw it, I'm ordering out. Pizza or chicken, Con?"
Conner's face brightened as Kaden reached for him. "Chicken! I love chicken!"
"Okay, let's go see what your sister wants," he said, gently plucking my son out of my arms.
"Loves your nerves, I do," I muttered.
"Love you too, bro," Kaden shot back with a laugh.
- Writer
